Introduction

Relevance of the Topic

Mastering the formation of future tenses of verbs in English is a crucial step in climbing the ladder of English language knowledge. This topic is essential for creating more complex and diversified grammatical structures, opening up a range of expressive and communicative possibilities.

Contextualization

The study of verbs in English is at the core of the English curriculum, as they are the cornerstone of communication. In the 8th grade of Elementary School, where students are progressing from simple sentence constructions to more complex grammatical structures, understanding the main forms of future is one of the keys to the written and oral improvement of students.

Theoretical Development

Components

• Infinitive without to: Used after modal verbs like can, may, must, shall, will, among others. Example: 'She will eat breakfast'.

• Going to: Used to indicate plans, intentions, or personal predictions. Example: 'I'm going to meet my friends after school'.

• Will: Used for decisions made at the moment of speaking, promises, predictions, and offers. Example: 'I will help you with your homework'.

• Modal Verbs: These are auxiliary verbs that, when used with main verbs, alter or specify the meaning of the main verb. Some modal verbs used to express the future are: can, may, must, shall, will. Example: 'You must study for the test tomorrow'.

Key Terms

• Infinitive: The original form of the verb, without conjugation for subject, tense, or any other circumstance.
• Auxiliary verb: A verb that helps form verb conjugations, has limited meaning, and cannot occur alone in a sentence.

Examples and Cases

• Infinitive without to: 'I will leave tomorrow' (Subject + will + infinitive verb without to + rest of the sentence)
• Going to: 'They are going to travel next month' (Subject + to be in the present + main verb in gerund + rest of the sentence)
• Will: 'He will buy a new car' (Subject + will + main verb + rest of the sentence)
• Modal Verbs: 'We can go to the movies tonight' (Subject + modal verb + main verb + rest of the sentence)

Detailed Summary

Key Points

• Importance of the Topic: The need to learn the main ways to express the future in English is undeniable. This knowledge opens the door to creating a wide range of more complex and diverse grammatical structures, thus allowing greater fluency in the language.

• Verbs in English: These fundamental components of the English language are the key to effective communication. Each future form expresses a specific shade of meaning, and it is important to recognize and understand when each one is used.

• Infinitive without to: Basic form used after modal verbs like can, may, must, shall, will, among others. It expresses future actions that do not depend on the speaker's will or intention.

• Going to: Used to indicate plans or future actions that are about to happen. It shows a higher level of certainty about what will happen, as it is based on current facts or evidence.

• Will: Used to express decisions made at the moment of speaking, predictions, promises, and offers. It is a more neutral form of the future, without necessarily indicating a concrete plan.

• Modal Verbs: These auxiliary verbs, when used with main verbs, alter or specify the meaning of the main verb. They express the speaker's attitude or opinion regarding a future action.

• Infinitive and Auxiliary Verb: Understanding these terms is essential for comprehending the future forms in English. The infinitive is the original form of the verb, without any changes for subject, tense, or other circumstance, while the auxiliary verb is the verb that assists in forming verb conjugations.

• Examples: Each future form was exemplified to facilitate understanding and practical application.

Conclusions

• Multiple Ways for the Future: English, like other languages, offers several ways to express the future. The choices between 'will', 'going to', and infinitive without to with modal verbs depend on the context and the meaning one wishes to convey.

• Practice Makes Perfect: Competence in forming the future in English will be enhanced with constant use and practice. Students are recommended to apply these structures in various contexts to strengthen their mastery of them.

• Expansion of Linguistic Repertoire: Studying the future forms of verbs in English is not just a matter of grammar but also of enriching vocabulary and communication skills.

Suggested Exercises

1. Write three sentences using the 'infinitive without to' to describe future actions that do not depend on the speaker's will or intention.
2. Transform the following present affirmative sentences into future sentences using 'going to': a) It rains a lot here. b) I visit my grandparents every Saturday. c) The train arrives at 8.
3. Complete the following sentences with 'will' or an appropriate modal verb (can, may, must, shall, will): a) I'm tired, so I think I ___________ go to bed early tonight. b) They are so excited! They ___________ love the surprise.